I suddenly seem to have developed a bit of an obsession with cleaning products. I don’t think this is a bad thing, on the contrary, as well as meaning that I have an unusually clean house (well a moderately less messy one anyway) they are also helping with my quest for a better work routine.

I seem to be learning the benefits of “little and often” when it comes to keeping things together at home. A new pound shop opened a couple of weeks ago in my local town (yes, everything really is a pound). Once I got over the general excitement of the pocket money prices and all the stationery I could buy myself for little outlay, I moved to the cleaning products aisle. There I found many things to make cleaning quick and easy (I come from a household where most things were cleaned with hot water, washing soda and elbow grease, an approach I adopted unquestioningly over the years). Imagine my joy at the the discovery of affordable products in bright packaging that as well offering great drawing opportunities also make cleaning something I can enjoy. A couple of my current favourites are a packet of kitchen wipes that mean I can clean a few things while I’m waiting for the kettle to boil (that happens quite a lot in my house), and the bathroom mousse that I spray on and leave and by the time I come back to rinse it off I find a sparkling bath and sink. Wonderful.

Moreover, I’ve come to realise that do just a little bit on a regular basis (even if it’s just while I wait for that kettle to boil) really does make a difference. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of cleaning the house once or twice a week I can chip away at it every day. Suddenly I find I even have sparkling light switches (they make me particularly happy!).

Of course (after all this is a blog about drawing a creativity) this is having a knock on effect in my creative life too. As well as finding I have more time and energy to use in my studio, I am also applying the “little and often” approach to my working life. I am far more willing to just do a little bit here and there to my current projects, not worrying about finishing everything, but instead celebrating the small steps towards completion. I’m helped a lot by the “three things to-do” list that I’ve been evangelising about recently; making a list everyday of just three steps I want to finish before I go to bed. I’m very happy with how things are (slowly) progressing. How are things going for you?